Clarifying system for raw-water ice plants



May 29 L2 J. W.'JOACHIM cumu us SYSTEM FOR RAW WATER ICE PLANTS Fil J n? Q4. 1923 Patented May 20, 1924.

Josnria' WJTOJACHIM. on NEW pan-EARS, LOUIS ANA.

CLARIFYING SYSTEM FOR RAW-WATER- ICE PLANTS.

Application fi1ed January 24y1923. Serial No. 14,593;

To all whom it may concern: v

lie it known that I, JosErH W. JOAGHIM, a citizen of the 'United States, residing at New Orleans, in the parish of Orleans'and State of Louisiana,haveinvented certain; new and usefulImprovements in Clarifying Systems for Raw-Tater lee Plants, of which the following isa specification. This invention relates to a pro-clarifying and purifying syste-m'and apparatus ioruse with and as an adjunct of, any suitahle a pparatus, not shown, for manufacturing ice from raw wateigand also to thegproces's of clarifying water and to the 'processof man uiacturing ice from raw water according to the present invention. I w

This, invention has for its primar y object, as a preliminary step and prior'to the*-introduction of the water into the usual ice: cans or pans or other ice-cake or'block forming receptacles, to first clarify and to a degree purify the raw water'in v order to: remove all matter in suspension in'the-wa-ter in order that the ice formed therefrom may be without any cloudy eileots andW-ilhbe en'- tirely free from such foreign or suspended matter so as to be substantially crystal'clear. Further objects are to obta-in econom'y of operation and certainty of operation under all conditions.

In the accompanying drawing 1 have shown a diagrammatic view'ot one embodi ment of a systemembodylng my lIlVelitlOIl;

Referring now in detail to the drawings, A designates the ammonia circuit, the raw-water circuit, and Cthe circuit of the treated orclaritiedwater, the circuits LB and C alternately involying passage through the respective freezingand condensing receptacles.

The rawswater enters throughinlet,pipe 1, passing therethrough and through'cooling coils 2 and 8'thereof located in the clarified water receptacle 29 and drainage rawwater receptacle 22, and'then up'into rawwater receptacle/l. This flow or supply is, of course, under propeiflregulation or control and may be under the influence of any impulse agent, not shown, or 'by gravity. From the receptacle 4 the raw-water is drawn through a pipe 5 by a pump (Sand driven through thatqone of the freezing and condensing receptacles7 and Sin which the freezing *action 'is talzing place, and not through the =reeeptacle 7 or 8 in which the condensing action is taking place and through which is ;.circulating the clarified water. Inasmuch as the freezing and con densmg actions ':are simultaneously occurring alternately in t hetwo receptacles 7 and 8 it will he understood that the raw-water circuit IE "will alternately include each of'the receptacles 7 and 8,'lout no't lootlr'at the same time fanjd' that the clarified water circuit G w'ill similarly alternately include'each oi the receptacles 7 and "8, but not looth'at the sametime; and that the alternations or shifts "in'the circuits B and C "are synchronized with 'eath- 'oth'er and with the alternations or shiftsin the'ammoniacircuit so that when the ammonia is' ezepanding in one of the receptacles -17 and 8 and condensing in l the other thereof the 'a'aw-water circuit will include thereceptacle'in which the ammonia is expanding a'I'id -the clari-ili'ed water circuit will' -ifncludefithe receptacle in which the'ammoniaf-is -bei ng condensed and compressed, 2511 three circuits of fluid and gas operating simultaneously. f

"For a clearer understandingof the invention 1 willfhow set'out in detail thethree distinct circuits under al'l operating aCOI1(ll-- time:

Bette-wetter circuit.-

1 Assumingtha't the freezing operation is takingfpl'acein receptacle 7 and the condensing operation is taking .place in receptacle t8, the valves f9 :and 10 ,of the rawwater circuitfwould be open and :valves "11 and .12 of said circuit would be closed, so that raw-water would be forcedl by the pump 6 throug'hipipe ,13 and pipe 14 to the upper {portion of the receptacle 7,

flowin'g'througli 'the tubes thereof by gravity 'to the bottom thereof, some of it congeali'ng on the walls of the tubes in such downward passage through said tubes. FIOIIljl'iQ bottom of said receptacle 7 the raw water, 'laden with the foreign matter -'previously suspended in that portion of the raw-water whichfl'has been congealed, escapes through "pipes 15, 16 and ,17, carrying along wi thiit' th'elaocumulation' of suspended matter, to the filter 18, and from there the filtered water, free from most of such accumulated suspended matter, flows through short pipe 19 back to the raw-water receptacle 4 to be again passed through the raw water circuit, this circulation of raw-water being continued for approximately thirty minutes until a layer of ice approximately one-half an inch thick has been formed on the walls of the tubes of the tubular structure in receptacle 7. From time to time during such circuit, and as from the condition of the raw-water may seem desirable, the valve 20 in the drain pipe 21 is opened. The drain pipe 21 has communication with the pipe 16 and the pipe 17 leading from the filter 18 andso serves to permit'the drawing off of the raw-waterheavily laden with matter in suspension backed up from the filter.

18. The drain pipe 21 delivers such drained ofi raw-water by gravity into the drain-off receptacle 22 from which it escapes by overflow pipe 23 tothe sewer.

Assuming that the operation of the receptacles 7 and 8 were reversed, the freezing action taking place in receptacle 8 so that the raw-water would be flowing therethrough, the valves 9 and 10 would be closed and valves 11 and 12 would be open, so that the raw-water would pass from the pump 6, through pipe 13, through valve 11, through pipe 24 to the upper part of receptacle 8, through the tubes of the tubular construction in receptacle 8 by gravity and back from the bottom thereof through pipe 25 and valve 12 to and through pipe 16, the circuit of raw-water in such case being otherwise the same as when flowing through receptacle 7.

The passage of the raw-water through the coils 2 and 3 in the receptacles 29 and 22 respectively serves to lower its temperature by means of the cold water in the said respective receptaclesand to further chill such raw-water I provide in the raw-water receptacle 4 a coil 44 having inlet pipe 45 and controlling valve 46 and outlet pipe 47 and controlling valve 48 in order that by properly adjusting said valves 46 and 48 a chilling medium, such as brine, may be circulated through said coil 44 and pipes 45 and 47. v v I I Also, I have provided in the bottom portion of each receptacle an air-outlet'head 49 with air supply pipes 50 respectively leading thereto in order that, if the condition of the raw-water be such as to seem to make it desirable, air may be introduced under pressure to'add agitation by air to the water, in addition to the agitation already present due to the circulation of the raw-water itself, to guard against adhesion of any suspended matter to the ice being formed during the freezing operation.

Also, the surface of the bottom of each of the respective receptacles 7 and 8 is formed so as to slope at all points to the point of outlet of the raw water and is preferably without any abrupt angles, obstructions or the like which might otherwise form pockets to collect foreign matter suspended in the raw-water.

Clarified water circuit.

. Assuming that the freezing operation has taken place in receptacle 8 and that now the compressing and condensing operation is taking place therein, the heat given off by the hot ammonia serves to melt the ice on the walls of the tubes of the tubular construction in the receptacle 8, the water derived from such melting of the ice being clarified water and mingling with the other clarified water in the clarified water circuit. Such clarified water, as it forms by the melting of the ice, drains off through pipe 26 and valve 27, which is open, to pipe 38, to pipe 28, through which it flows by gravity to clarified water receptacle 29. During such flow the valve 30 is, of course, closed, as is also the valve 12 of pipe 25.

To aid in the melting of the ice I provide for flushing the receptacle 8 with clarified water and to this end by a pump 31 I draw clarified water through a pipe 32 from clarified water receptacle 29 and force it through pipe 33, through pipe 34, through valve 35, valve 36 being closed, and through pipe 37 to the upper part of the receptacle 8, through the tubes of the tubular construction of which it flows downward to the bottom thereof with the water produced by the melting of the ice, escaping from the bottom of the receptacle 8 through pipe 26, valve 27, pipe 38 and pipe 28 to the clarified water receptacle 29. This circuit of clarified water is maintained for a period of approximately thirty minutes until the ice has been completely melted and the condensation and compression of the ammonia has been completed.

From the clarified water receptacle 29 the clarified water is drawn-off as required through the pipe 39 to filter 40 and through pipe 41 leading from the filter 40 to the ice cans or other ice-forming receptacles or apparatus, not shown.

Assuming that the operation of the receptacles 7 and 8 were reversed, the condensing operation taking place in receptacle 7 sothat the clarified water would be flowing therethrough, the valves 35, 27 and 10 would be closed and valves 36 and 30 would be open, so that the clarified water would flow from the pump 31 through pipe 33, through pipe 34, through valve 36 and through pipe 42 to the upper part of receptacle 7 and by gravity down through the tubes of the tubular construction or coil therein to the bottom thereof, passing therefrom through'the pipe 43, through valve 30, through pipe 38 and through pipe 28 to clarified water receptacle 29.

[l wmioaic circuit.

Assuming that ice has been formed in repanding would pass from ammonia tank 62,

through pipe 63, through pipe 641, through valve 60 and through pipe 65 to the interior of the tubularconstruction or coils in receptacle 7 and, in absorbing the heat from the water passing through said tubular structure or coils, would become heated and expanded and would then be drawn off as hot ammonia gas by the compressor 51 through pipe 66, valve 56, pipe 67 and valve 75 to the compressor 51 and forced by the said compressor 51 through pipe 68, valve 76, pipe 70, valve 58 and pipe 69 into the interior of the tubular structure or coil in receptacle 8, in which tubular structure or coil it would be chilled by the ice on the walls of said tubular structure or coil and would be compressed and condensed by the action thereof and of the compressor 51, the heat of such hot ammonia serving during such condensing and compressing operation to melt the ice formed on the walls of the tubular structure or coil in receptacle 8.

This operation or cycle results in forming ice on the walls of the tubular structure or coil in receptacle 7 and in condensing and compressing the ammonia gas in the interior of the tubular structure or coil in receptacle 8 and requires approximately thirty minutes for completion of the operation or cycle.

compressor 51, and when such slight interval has elapsed the valves 56 and 58 areclosed and the valves 59 and 57 are opened, resulting in reversing the functions of the recep tacles 7 and 8, the proper valves of the respective water circuits being simultaneously operated, the ammonia in expanding passing from. the tank 62, through pipe 63, through pipe 64:, through valve 61, through pipe 71 I system.

72,-valve 57, pipe 73, pipe 67 and valve 75 to the compressor 51 and forced by said compressor 51 through pipe 68, valve 76, pipe 7 O, valve 57 andpipe 79k to the interior of the tubular structure or coil in receptacle 7, giving off its heat therein while being condensed and compressed such heat transfer resulting in melting the ice previously formedvinthe preceding cycle on the walls of the tubular structure or coil in receptacle 7. lVhen the cycle of freezing in 8 and condensing and compressing in 7 is completed the valve 61is closed and valve 60 opened and thereafter the valves 59 and 57 areclosed and the valves 56 and 58 are opened and the valves of the water circuits correspondingly operated, again reversing the functions of the receptacles 7 and 8, and so on; y

In case the compressor should get out of order for any reason the ammoniacircuit A could be operated as a temporaryexpedient by coupling it in with the main ammonia circuit of the regular ice making apparatus by opening the valves 52 and 54. In such case of course the compressor should be cutout of the ammonia circuit A andtthis is accomplished by closing the valves 75 and 76.

The" ammonia compression and evaporation or expansion in the tubular structures or coils in receptacle 7 and 8 maybe according to either the dry or flooded system or,

" in otheruwords, the ammonia system employed might be either the dryer floode'd Having thus" described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An apparatus for use in with ice making apparatus and for the purpose of clarifying raw-water prior to its delivery to the ice forming receptacles, the said apparatus comprising two receptacles, tubular structures within said receptacles respectively, and an'ammonia circuit'where by ammonia is expanded in one "of said tubular structures and simultaneously condensed and compressed in the other, these operations occurring alternately in the two tubular structures, in combination with means for circulating raw-water alternately through said receptacles and means for circulating clarified water through said receptacles, the raw-water circuit always including that one of the receptacles in which the ammonia is being expanded, and the clarified water circuit always including that one of the receptacles in whichthe ammonia is being condensed, the raw-water and the clarified water being at all times segregated from each other.

2. An apparatus for clarifying water comprising a receptacle, a tubular structure conjunction in said receptacle permitting the passage of Water through said receptacle, and means for circulating a freezing medium through said structure and a hot melting medium through said structure in alternation,in combination with means for circulating rawwater through said receptacle simultaneously with the circulation of the freezing medium through said tubular structure to form ice on the walls of said tubular structure, means for circulating a current of clarified water through said receptacle while the heated medium is being circulated through said tubular structure to melt the .ice formed by the freezing cycle, means for drawing-off the clarified water, including the water resulting from the melting of the ice, separate from the raw-water, and means for drawing-off the surplus raw-water at the end of the freezing cycle separate from the clarified water.

3. An apparatus for clarifying water comprising a receptacle, a tubular structure in said receptacle permitting the passage of water through said receptacle, and means for circulating a freezing medium-through said structure and a hot melting medium through said structure in alternation, in combination with means for circulating raw-water through said receptacle simultaneously with the circulation of the freezing medium through said tubular structure to form ice on the walls of said tubular structure, means for drawing-oft" the surplus raw-water at the end of the freezing cycle' and segregating it, and means for drawing off the clarified water, resulting from the melting of the ice while the hot medium is circulating through said tubular structure, and segregating said clarified Water.

4. An apparatus for use in conjunction with ice making apparatus and for the purpose of clarifying raw-water prior to its delivery to the ice-forming receptacles, the said apparatus comprising two receptacles, tubular structures within said receptacles respectively, and an ammonia circuit whereby ammonia is expanded in one of said tubular structures and simulta neously condensed and compressed in the other, these operations occurring alternately in the two tubular structures, in combination with means for circulating raw-water alternately through said receptacles, means for circulating clarified water alternately through said receptacles, and means for chilling the raw-water prior to its initial passage through either of said receptacles, the raw-water circuit always including that one of the receptacles in which the ammonia is being expanded, and the clarified water circuit always including that one of the receptacles in which the ammonia is being condensed, the raw-water and the clarified water being at all times segregated from each other 5. An apparatus for use in conjunction with ice making apparatus and for the purpose of clarifying raw-water prior to its delivery to the ice-forming receptacles, the said apparatus comprising two receptacles, tubular structures within said receptacles respectively, and an ammonia circuit whereby ammonia is expanded in one of said tubular structures and simultaneously condensed and compressed in the other, these operations occurring alternately in the two tubular structures, in combination with means for circulating raw-water alternately through said receptacles, means for circulating clarified water alternately through said receptacles, and means for chilling rawwater by waste-water prior to its entry into the body of raw-water circulated through said receptacles, the raw-water circuit ineluding always that one of the receptacles in which the ammonia is being expanded,

the clarified water circuit always including i that one of the receptacles in which the ammonia is being condensed, and the rawwater and the clarified water being at all times segregated from each other.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification at New Orleans, Louisiana, this 19 day of January 1923.

JOSEPH W. J OACHIM. 

